


Call me if (I need you)

by ArtemisMoonsong



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Long-Distance Relationship, M/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-25
Updated: 2020-01-25
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:14:12
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,076
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22407793
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArtemisMoonsong/pseuds/ArtemisMoonsong
Summary: A response to a not-a-prompt bySadMageCentral❤"Ryder crying at night (or whatever stands for night in deep space) because they are so overwhelmed by all the duties that have fallen to them, and SAM sending a distress signal to their best friend and/or LI."
Relationships: Male Ryder | Scott/Reyes Vidal, Ryder/Reyes Vidal
Comments: 11
Kudos: 41





	Call me if (I need you)

_[Elim Ryder -- sad boy hours]_

//

“Elim,”—SAM’s cool, automated voice startled him, shaking him from his thoughts and causing him to half-choke on the sob which had been threatening to consume him—“You have an in-coming vid call.”

“Not now, SAM,” he managed to say, turning over in his bed and burying his face into the pillow. He sighed—as if he could hide from an _A.I._

“The call is from Mr. Vidal,” said SAM.

Elim stilled.

“What?” he said, sitting up. His heart gave a little stutter, and he swallowed, drawing the back of his hand across his eyes and nose. He scowled, suddenly annoyed. “Doesn’t he know what time it is here? Didn’t you tell him?”

“I did.”

Elim sat there for a moment, contemplating ignoring the call—a _vid_ call, of all things. What could Reyes possibly want at this hour? It must be some sort of emergency, maybe a resurgence of Outlaw or Kett activity on Kadara, and he needed—

He scowled again. _I’m not his personal secretary_. If Reyes needed something, he could contact the Initiative directly.

“…Is it an emergency?” he thought to ask.

There was a long pause—unusual for SAM—before the response: “I fear I cannot say.”

Well _that_ was weird. Finally, he sighed and swung his feet over the side of the bed, absently running his fingers through his long, rumpled hair before making his way across the room and towards the mini-vid communicator. He sat down at the chair, pausing to close his eyes and take a breath—reaching up and rubbing his eyes and swiping the heel of his hand over his nose one more time—before straightening and hitting the “accept” button.

Reyes’ handsome face appeared before him, and of course his stomach immediately gave a little dip. He swallowed and tried to look serious.

“Elim!”

Reyes smiled, and he couldn’t help frowning in response. He didn’t _look_ like he was in the middle of an emergency.

“…Hey,” he said, which was kind of the opposite of what he _meant_ to say, but he blamed it on being sleep-deprived—and maybe a little bit depressed and overwhelmed, too, and on hearing his boyfriend’s voice and seeing his face, and—

He took a long, shuddering breath and tried to put a smile on his face.

Failed, but tried.

“How are you?” asked Reyes. “You don’t look—that is, SAM told me that you were—

“ _SAM_ called you?!”

He sat back, feeling the heat already rising to his cheeks, anger and embarrassment squeezing his chest, making it momentarily hard to breathe.

Reyes smiled, that half-cocked little smile that drove him half-mad sometimes.

“Yes,” he said, “He said you were… he said that I should call you.”

“I’m fine,” he said flatly. And really, it was best if he ignored the unusual softness in Reyes’ voice.

“I can see that,” came the teasing reply. “Red eyes, swollen nose…”

“Stop,” said Elim, his jaw clenching together—which was good, because it kept his chin from trembling. “I’m about to hang up on you.”

Reyes laughed.

“All right,” he allowed. “Hmm. Can I say… I wish that I was there? I wish that I could run my fingers through that silly long hair of yours, maybe nibble on that adorable little nose…”

“STOP,” he said, groaning and leaning forward, briefly covering his face with his hands. “Why do you _always_ have to tease?”

“It’s hardly _my_ fault that you’re so cute when you blush.”

“Reyes,” he said, peeking up from behind his hands to glare at the image before him. “I’m serious. I will fucking hang up _right now_ if you _don’t_ —

“All right, all right!” Reyes’ laughter made him sigh, and he lowered his hands again, but only so he could rest his chin on them. They looked at one another for a moment, then:

“Tell me,” said Reyes, his voice soft again.

Elim felt his chin doing that stupid trembling thing again and pressed his lips together. He bit the bottom one then, and took a long, shuddering breath.

“I can’t,” he managed. “I’ll start crying again.”

“That’s okay,” came the warm, gentle reply.

“No, it’s not. I’m a grown ass man, Reyes. I’m not—

“It’s okay,” Reyes repeated. “I promise you.”

Reyes was right, of course. He usually was. Sometimes Elim felt almost stupid beside him—it wasn’t even like Reyes was that much older or more experienced than he was—well, he _was_ sort of running an entire planet, but half the time Elim could swear he was mostly just winging it.

But he just—he was the type of person who seemed to always know what to say and what to do. He knew when to talk and when to listen. He listened now—not saying anything when Elim’s shoulders started to shake again, or when he kept having to rub the back of his hand over his nose, or admitted how unfair he thought it was of his father to do this to him: make him into something he wasn’t, something he never wanted, never had any reason to want.

Then when Elim was done, he started talking again. He told him how proud he was of him, how brave he was for doing the things he’d done. He expressed his sorrow for not being able to be there right now, for not being able to sit beside him and stroke his hair and plant little kisses all over his face until he started smiling again. Elim covered his blush up with a snort and a laugh, then rubbed his eyes and told his boyfriend that he couldn’t wait to see him again.

“Likewise,” said Reyes, smiling.

“I don’t know when that’ll be,” he admitted. “We’re off to Elaaden—something the krogan discovered in one of the vaults there. Even the Moshae’s supposed to meet us there.”

“Afterwards, then.”

“Maybe.” He sighed, then gazed into his boyfriend’s warm eyes for a few quiet moments. “Thanks,” he finally said. “And… sorry for yelling at you earlier.”

Reyes chuckled.

“It’s all right. You’re cute when you’re angry.”

Elim snorted again and rolled his eyes. They said their good-byes then, and he switched the vid-com off. After a second, he got to his feet and trudged back to bed, sinking back into the mattress and onto his Initiative-issued pillow.

“Thanks, SAM,” he mumbled into the darkness.

“You’re welcome, Elim,” came the calm, quiet response.


End file.
